Michigan State Availability Report Looks Bleak Ahead of Northwestern Game

Injuries are a part of all sports, especially in football, where players go out once a week and perform backbreaking, gladiator-esque moves in front of thousands upon thousands of screaming fans.

Sadly, it’s something we must accept and be ready to move on from in the blink of an eye.

For the Michigan State Spartans, injuries have been a damning part of Pat Fitzgerald’s inaugural season as head coach. Game after game has been accompanied by a laundry list of injuries.

Yet entering Week 7, the availability report has never looked so bleak.

Michigan State will be without many of its starters and backups. Not just any starters, either, but some of the key pieces to the team’s offense and defense.

The latter has taken the brunt of the injuries.

Michigan State will be without its top four cornerbacks against Northwestern. Starters Tre Bell and Charles Brantley are already listed as out, along with key depth pieces Tyran Chappell and Keshawn Williams.

Northwestern’s quarterback, former Spartan Aidan Chiles, who was benched last season, returns with vengeance on his mind and now has a massive opportunity to open things up against young, less-experienced cornerbacks.

Not only is the cornerback room depleted, but the Spartans will also play without both of their starting linebackers, Jordan Hall and Brady Pretzlaff.

The two have been the heart and soul of the Spartans’ defense when on the field. However, both players have been battling injuries since the opening game.

But that’s not all, as the Spartans’ top depth linebacker, Caleb Wheatland, is also ruled out for the game.

And it doesn’t look much better offensively.

Michigan State will be without its best transfer portal player and a rock-solid piece on the offensive line, Ben Murawski.

Jay Coyne, the team’s lone fullback, will miss his sixth straight game. Cam Edwards, the star running back, is out for the season. Backup quarterback Cam Fancher will miss his second straight game.

And I’m sure the partridge in a pear tree is even injured somehow.

It’s almost comical if you’re a Michigan State fan. This was a season with high hopes — not national championship aspirations, but hope to see potential.

For a minute, it looked like all hope was gone until last week’s second-half performance. The Spartans lost by one point but breathed new life into the program.

All of that momentum is now being met with a grocery list of injuries, with so many players already deemed unable to suit up on Saturday.

It’ll be a next-man-up mentality for Fitzgerald’s Spartans as they take on his alma mater, Northwestern.

Here’s the entire availability report.

Out

Questionable